1. ‘Conquest’
- The White Stripes

2.  The video clip that I have chosen to analyse is
‘Conquest’ by The White Stripes. I have chosen to
analyse this video as it follows a story. Similarly to Taylor
Swifts, however with a more appropriate music style
next to the song we have. Also I think it is an interesting
video and keeps the audience entertained throughout,
it combines different cultures and a different type of
story compared to an unconventional love story,
however, the love story of the song is more of an
underlying message of the love of the man and defeat
of the man, rather than the obvious message of Taylor
Swifts, this suggests it also appeals to an older
audience, that would understand it, similar to that of my
own.
 I have also chosen to analyse this song as it is a much
more upbeat song similar to that of my own and
therefore an appropriate comparison, the ideas will also
come in highly useful when considering how I want my
music video.

3.  The scene opens on a set of a bull ring
where the bull fighter, the
protagonist/artist, enters on a horse, this
is already an unconventional video using
the theme of a bull fighter.
 In the video, the protagonist is fighting a
bull, in the start, he is winning, until the
bull changes and in the end defeats him.
The bull is a metaphor for a female, who
it cuts to frequently in the video.

4.  The clothes worn directly relate to the culture. The
protagonist is wearing a bright red bull fighters outfit.
The red has connotations of both blood and romance,
which relates to the song. This has an underlying
message of him being a promiscuous man, not caring
of the hearts that are broken, until the tables are
turned, and he finds himself falling in love with the
woman, into which she can abandon as he would her.
 The hair he has also relates to his personality and the
theme of the video, it begins slick, like his personality,
but as the fight continues it becomes out of place in
which case he becomes flustered.

5.  A bull is used in the video as a metaphor
for the woman that the video cuts to
frequently. The video begins as the bull
being beaten, until when he comes to
finally beat the bull, he cannot do it, and
feels sympathy and compassion, as he
did for the woman. In that case the bull
turns and defeats the man,
demonstrating the underlying message
of the woman beating the man.

6.  Sand is used in the bull ring to represent dirt, at the opening of the video, the
bull fighter rides in on a horse, however as the video continues and he
appears to be ‘losing his edge’ he gets more dirty. This refers to the
underlying message of him being the type of promiscuous man that breaks
heart, that are often referred to as ‘dirty’.
 The sand also emphasises the set and storyline of a famous bullfighter and his
audience, which therefore makes it more realistic and believable to the
audience.
 During the action sequences between the bull and the bull fighter, the sand
is disturbed and makes the sequence seem more energetic and pragmatic.
 The sand also makes the separate colours stand out against each other; the
dark black of the bull, and the bright red of the outfit worn of the bullfighter,
this then encapsulates our attention the fight. However it is also makes the
whole video seem brighter and much lighter on the eyes, as bright colours
next to each other are much easier on the eyes and would make the video
much more enjoyable for the audience. [The sand is a very light shade of
yellow/white].

7.  At the end of the video, when the protagonist is
defeated and lying on the floor, he draws a love heart
into the dirt, however the bull is stood by the side whilst
roses are being thrown at him. This represents how he
has fallen for the female, and he is crying into the dirt at
how he is heartbroken.
 This goes further to insinuate the dirt of a man, and how
he breaks the heart of so many people, and is therefore
ironic for him to draw a love heart into the dirt. He then
rubs the love heart away to represent he is broken
hearted, as to how he leaves so many women, and
finally signifies how love has backfired on the man and
finally left him broken hearted.

8.  Many times in the video it cuts to a female that expresses
different emotions from boredom at his arrogance, and
finally amusement at the end when he is defeated.
 This therefore further illustrates the metaphor of the bull
being a woman.
 The height of the protagonist also changes throughout the
video. He begins arriving on a horse, making him taller that
the rest of the people, and therefore insinuating more
power and strength. Then he gets off his horse in order to
fight, making him the same as everybody else, then the
bull begins to defeat him and he ends up crawling on the
floor away from the bull, until finally he is lying on the floor,
as low as he can get, this shows the complete change in
power and is like he has literally been ‘crushed’.

9.  Camera is used to emphasise the use of
mise-en scene in order to create more of
an atmosphere.

10.  There is a close up of the protagonists eyes to
show the sheer determination in defeating the
bull and achieving what he wants. It also shows
arrogance as he has done it so many times
and has become notorious for it by the crowds
of people.
 Many close ups are used on his face
throughout the video to show the changing
emotion from the arrogance, to sympathy and
love, to finally defeat and pain.

11.  A close up of the bull is used to show the
expression and the emotion that is given.
Previously, all the shots of the bull have
been medium and long distance shots.
This therefore gives an audience
perception that it is just a regular bull
that is just another to be defeated,
referring to the metaphor of the bull just
being like any other woman he can
have.

12.  A point of view shot is used, however it is
from the bulls point of view and it is only
used once in the video. This is used to
show the males position as the bull runs
towards him. By using a point of view
shot only once as the bull, it implies that
the actual situation has changed, rather
than showing him running at the bull, it
shows the bull running at him, and as a
result shows the change in power.

13.  A wide angle is used upon entering the
arena to make the show the audience
the crowd, the bull ring, and the
characters altogether.

14.  A high angle is used when the man is being
defeated and it shows him scrambling on the
floor trying to get away. This makes it appear
like we are looking down on him and the
change in height suggests a change in
strength. From him arriving on a horse at the
beginning with much power and strength, until
he is on the floor with a low angle.
 In contrast, a low angle is used at the start of
the video to make him appear much stronger
and more powerful.

15.  A master shot is used when the man is
fighting the bull to also include the
audience so that we can witness the
reaction as well as the fight sequence.

16.  Editing is used to cut between the
camera shots; this creates a mood
towards the camera, as the camera
would towards the mise en scene.

17.  Cutaways are used to show the
changing reactions between the
female, the male and the bull. Such as
when the male is showing off in the bull
ring, it cuts to the female, who is giving a
look of disgust, these are used so the
audience are away that the two actions
are directly related.

18.  Continuity of motion is used to make the
fight sequence flow better and appear
sequential, this therefore makes it seem
more realistic to the viewers.

19.  A jump cut is used when the man is
removing the piece of wood from the bulls
back. This is also repeated and therefore
does not fully fit together making the
audience aware that it is significant. It is
significant as it is the point where the man
changes his opinion and is therefore why it
is repeated and why a jump cut is used, of
the same event at different angles.

20.  Relational editing is also used between
the main protagonist busy fighting the
bull, and the female watching him in the
corner. Although the female is unrelated
to the sequence, it gives implications of
the associations of the metaphor which
is the bull for those that have not picked
up on it previously.

21.  The sound is used to often match the
scenes and emphasise what is going on,
however obviously this is a music video,
and in this case the scenes are used to
match the music and to emphasise the
lyrics and music.

22.  The sound opens the video with the
sounds of a cheering crowd, this relates
to the theme of the video as a
bullfighter.

23.  When the lyrics of the song say: ‘Didn’t care whose
heart was broke, love to him was a joke, until he looked
into her eyes’, this relates to the underlying message
previously displayed in the PowerPoint, however this
can be seen within the bull fight. In the part of ‘didn’t
care whose heart was broke’ refers to either could be
killed, and it displays the part of looking into ‘her eyes’
of the bull, which has the the human emotions and is
therefore relating the love of the woman.

24.  The song then goes on to sing ‘and then in the
strange way things happen, those roles were
reversed for that day, the hunted became the
hunter, the hunter became the prey.’ This refers
to both the reversing roles of the bull and the
man, from the man defeating the bull, to the
bull defeating the man, but also the man trying
to take the woman, but then the woman takes
the man, and therefore further illustrates the
metaphor of the bull.

25.  CGI is used on the close up of the bulls
face, this is to give the bull human
features and personify it. It shows the bull
winking and blowing kisses which further
relates the bull to the female. It is used to
make the video seem more comical and
break it away from just a bull fight which
could become too intense.